


Kidnapping the King

by zephrene



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Gen, Season 3 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-21
Updated: 2010-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 19:39:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephrene/pseuds/zephrene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's up to King Arthur's friends to make sure he doesn't work too hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kidnapping the King

It was the second watch of the night when Arthur was disturbed by a knock at the window of his study. Since his study was several stories up in a tower, this naturally gave him pause. He left the ledger of figures on the desk, drew his dagger and moved through the shadows to the side of the frame.

On the other side of the diamond panes was a distorted face, nose and cheeks squashed up to the glass, and familiar brown eyes laughing at him. Arthur unhooked the lock, and the face vanished from sight as he pushed the casement out. Then a black-clad, hooded figure floated back into view and poked bare feet over the sill.

Arthur sighed. "Elena. How did you get up here?" He leaned out the window beside her, and saw neither rope nor any sign of an accomplice.

"Merlin helped me!" she declared with a bright, carefree laugh.

"Of course he did," Arthur sighed.

Elena hopped down into the room proper, and removed the smothering black cloak. Her hair was braided and wound tight around her head. She was wearing the uniform of a Camelot guard, minus the boots.

"What are you wearing?" Arthur demanded.

"It was Merlin's idea, in case I was spotted" Elena explained. "Now, Arthur. We have no time, so get your things together. And take off your shoes."

Arthur stared at her. She seemed perfectly serious, although with Elena it was often hard to tell. It was one of the many reasons she made such an excellent diplomat.

"Shoes, Arthur," she repeated, gesturing at his feet, still in the boots he had put on for training that morning.

"I beg your pardon?" Arthur said.

"I have Gwen's permission to kidnap you and Merlin's cloak will protect you. You haven't been out except to train in three days. The ledgers will wait, I promise." She was so confident, grinning irrepressibly at him in a way that reminded him of Merlin when they were young.

"Who else have you roped into this farce?" Arthur asked, as he sat down to remove his boots. She had a positive hatred of shoes, did Elena. She had once attended three banquets in Eire wearing sweeping trains that instantly became the court fashion, and no one ever saw her feet. She had not even bothered to pack shoes.

"Bors, of course," Elena said, "and Gwen and Leon and Gwaine and Vivian and Elaine. We'll be quite proper, Your Majesty."

Arthur couldn't help it. He laughed, as he tossed his boots aside. "Because you, of course, are always proper."

Her grin made her nose wrinkle quite fetchingly, and she stretched out her hand to him like a friend. Arthur certainly hoped Bors appreciated the woman he'd married. There were few individuals in this kingdom who could still treat Arthur with casual friendship. Even Merlin occasionally fell back on court formality.

Arthur's feet were ridiculously pale, he reflected, looking at them against the carpet. Hers were brown and likely tough as tree bark. Perhaps he had been stuck inside four walls for a little bit too long. "I'll regret this, won't I?" he muttered, just to be contrary.

"Only if you match Gwaine drink for drink again, Sire," Elena assured him.

Arthur smiled and took her hand.


End file.
